Rita Beck, age 54, of Crooks, SD, formerly of Huron, SD, died on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD.

Her funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 4, at First United Methodist Church in Huron with burial at Riverside Cemetery.

Visitation will be Friday from 1-8 p.m. at Welter Funeral Home with the family present from 6-8 p.m.; or Saturday morning one hour prior to the service.

Rita Beck was born Rita Diane Sass, the daughter of Doyle and Marilyn (Golay) Sass, on July 31, 1956, in Lake Preston, SD. As a small girl she moved with her parents to Huron where she graduated from Huron High School in 1974.

On July 4, 1975, Rita married Mike Beck at American Lutheran Church in Huron. The couple made their home in Huron until moving to Crooks, SD, to be closer to her sisters family and also closer to medical care.

Rita worked at Our Home Re-Discovery in Huron for 12 years; owned and operated her own cleaning business Youve Got it Maid; and as a clerk at Walmart in Huron from the time that it opened through the present.

Rita attended First United Methodist Church; and was a past advocate and assistant to Jan Manolis for the YWCA Family Violence Center.

Rita always cherished the time that she could spend with her family especially the grandchildren. She enjoyed reading, camping, shopping, rummage sales, searching the web and playing computer solitaire. Rita always treasured the time that she could spend with her niece and cancer survivor, Tara Sheridan. They both participated in several annual, community Relay for Life Cancer Walks around the area.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Mike of Crooks, SD; 1 daughter, Stephanie (Travis) Head of Huron, SD; 2 sons Scott (Jessica) Beck, of Huron, and Chad (Amber Ehrk) Beck of Huron; 6 grandchildren, Preston Head, Peyton Head, Paycee Head, Jayden Beck, Adison Beck, and Madelyn Beck; 1 brother, Rick (Dawn) Sass of Ft. Pierre, SD; 2 sisters, Peggy (Gerry) Sheridan of Crooks, SD, and Pam (Brian) Keiser of Watertown, SD; step-mother, Carolyn Kopejtka of Huron; 7 nieces and nephews, Tara Sheridan, Jeremy Sheridan, Jason Sass, David Sass, Krysia Reilly, Kelly Reilly, and Ashley Keiser; and her 2 beloved Boston Terriers, Harley and Jazz.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents.